


Bonded in Tragedy

by heartlikeabomb



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Flashbacks, Gen, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27339958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartlikeabomb/pseuds/heartlikeabomb
Summary: Jay suffers a flashback. Mouse is there for him.
Kudos: 33





	Bonded in Tragedy

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote a couple of short pieces for Whumptober 2020 on Tumblr and figured I'd share them here. Would love to read some feedback if anyone has anything to offer. I haven't written in years and finally decided to get back in the game. At least a little bit.

Jay and Mouse hadn’t been back that long. Well, it felt like it at least. Neither of them had really assimilated back into society. The army wasn’t really known for its stellar reintegration program. 

Three months after returning stateside, Jay and Mouse met up at a dive bar near Jay’s apartment to catch up. It had been several weeks since they last saw each other. And each had a radically different experience of return to ‘normal’ life.

They talked about sports and stuff that changed around town and all the insignificant things they could think of to talk about. Anything other than what they went through in Afghanistan.

A few too many beers between the two of them, Jay told Mouse he could crash at his apartment, knowing he was not in a position to drive.

The two of them made it back to the apartment in once piece. Jay offered up his bed but Mouse refused, insisting on taking the couch, which, while it didn’t look like much, was actually fairly comfortable.

They both went their separate ways without many words between them. Both overly tired, mentally exhausted, and emotionally lost.

It was still dark when Mouse shot up from his position on the couch, startled by something he was still too tired to have full awareness of. 

He sat in the darkened silence for several more seconds before he heard it again. Shouting. Coming from Jay’s bedroom.

His mind went in a million directions. Was there an intruder? Were they being attacked? 

He pulled himself up from the couch and his feet carried him toward the bedroom. He was woefully unprepared for any kind of fight but knew he needed to get to Jay nonetheless.

Mouse walked into the bedroom and found Jay sitting straight up in bed. Eyes wide open but somewhere else.

“Where’s Wiggins?!” Jay shouted.

Mouse approached cautiously. “Jay. Jay! It’s Mouse. You’re at home.”

Jay looked in Mouse’s direction but still seemed far away. “Mouse! I don’t see Wiggins! Where is he?”

“Jay, he’s not here. It’s just you and me. We’re in your apartment.”

“Mouse, my-my leg – I can’t…”

Mouse approached the bed and wrapped his hands around Jay’s left leg. “You feel this, Jay? Jay can you feel me? Your leg is fine.”

“Mouse, we gotta move! We’re exposed. We’re gonna get hit!”

Mouse took a deep breath. It was the Humvee explosion. Jay was back in that moment. They lost the two other men in their Humvee that day as well as several others in the convoy.

“Jay,” Mouse punctuated, again giving his leg a gentle squeeze. “Jay, you’re in Chicago.” 

Mouse gently took Jay’s hand and set it on top of the blankets. “Come on, man. You’re in bed. Your bed. In Chicago.”

Jay was frozen in place. Mouse wasn’t sure if he was getting through to him at all. 

Jay suddenly reached out and grabbed Mouse’s wrist. Mouse noticed tears brimming his eyes. “Wiggins…Jake…is he…where is he?”

Mouse removed Jay’s hand from his wrist and instead placed it on his chest. He tapped Jay’s arm several times. “Jay, feel my chest. Feel my heart beating. You’re in Chicago. None of that is happening right now.”

Mouse turned his attention to the window. It had started raining. “You hear the sound of the rain hitting the window? Can you hear that?”

Jay’s eyes started to refocus. He slowly looked down to see his hand on Mouse’s chest. His head shot back up and he looked around the room.

“I’m at home. In Chicago,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, man.”

They sat together in silence for several long moments, Jay breathing heavily. 

Jay finally broke the silence. “What time is it?”

Mouse glanced at his watch. “Close to 5.”

“Fuck man, I’m sorry. I’ve been okay for a couple weeks. I didn’t think-“

Mouse stopped him. “Nope. You don’t need to explain anything to me, man.”

“I can still smell the burning fuel…and flesh. Like I’m back there.”

Mouse nodded, knowingly. “I get them too. It was like every night when we first got back. Not as much now.”

“Shit the recruiter never tells you about, huh?” Jay scoffed. 

“If they did, no one would sign up. Except for the real crazy motherfuckers.”

Jay chuckled and nodded in agreement. 

“Look uh, I know neither of us are really the touchy-feely, cry about our feelings types but I’m here for you. If you need to just bitch about things or punch something or…” Mouse trailed off, not sure what else to say.

“Thanks. Really. I know you’re going through some shit too.”

Mouse laughed. “It will be like the blind leading the blind. But it’s better than nothing right?”

Jay nodded. “So uh, I don’t think I really feel like going back to sleep.”

Mouse shook his head. “Yeah, me either.”

“Are you hungry? There’s a diner a couple blocks away that makes a biscuit and gravy combo that is top notch.”

Mouse nodded. “That sounds great.”


End file.
